Short Synopsis - 

A mermaid by the name of Cora and Rye, a cursed water gypsy, unknowingly find themselves the subject of a wager between the witch of the Sea and the witch of the Earth. Turning Cora into a human, they set her adrift in a world she doesn't know and begin their trickery to ensure their victory. 

A strange chirping noise sounded somewhere nearby, the lamp shining brightly through Cora's eyelids and she squinted, silently cursing her brother for not turning it off when he left. Her skin felt oddly warm, reminding her of floating on the waters surface in the sun.

Her eyes opened, blearily taking in the blue sky overhead, soft white clouds floating high above and her body froze.

She was not in her home.

She wasn't even in the water.

The sun beamed above, shining on her very warm and very dry body. Chest heaving, she twisted her head side to side, seeing only trees and a small slip of water upon which she travelled. Shooting up to a sitting position the world moved below her and she reached out trying to steady herself. She was on some sort of raft, the wood digging into her naked flesh. Her usual cover she wore over her breasts was gone and her tail felt dry and odd. Looking down she saw the reason.

Two pale white legs jutted out from her waist, bent in a strange crook.

She screamed, shuffling away as though her tail would be hiding beneath the thin limbs. The legs kicked up, pushing her against the raft and she cried out as her skin scraped against the rough surface.

"What's going on?" she whispered, breathing sharply.

The last thing she remembered was closing her eyes in her own home in the Colony. How had this happened? Trying to calm her rapid breaths she looked around at her surroundings, causing the ball of panic sitting on her chest to grow heavier. She was drifting down a small river, the flow running steadily North, the water lapping against the raft. Trees grew on either side of the water, towering over her; their roots crept into the water, moss inching up their trunks as though the river and the trees were trying to consume one another. Their leaves were a vibrant green, many of them falling into the water below. Some of their branches reached across the water and at one point she had to duck her head so she didn't hit a branch.

As she passed one by, she reached up to touch the branch, marvelling at the feel of the soft bark beneath her fingertips. The trees opened up into a large field on one side, seeming to never end. Many different coloured flowers decorated the field, creating a wave of color in the breeze. She watched the scenery pass by, time slipping away as the river never seemed to end. To pass the time and ease her frantic thoughts she tried to figure out how her legs worked. They were such strange looking things and it astounded her she could move them separately from each other. She ran her hands down them, her skin soft and supple like that of her upper body, not at all leathery and slick like her tail was. They started to grow dangerously warm in the heat of the sun and she pinched and prodded them, wincing from the sting.

Slowly, she moved them back and forth laughing as she wriggled the little appendages on her feet. She couldn't remember what they were called but they were so tiny and cute. She wondered how people stood on them, they seemed so small and weak she wasn't sure if they could bear her weight. Wanting to try, she attempted to stand on them as she had seen humans do so. The raft however did not like this movement and began to tip. She shrieked as she lost her balance, almost falling into the water and laughed.

Why should she fear the water? It was more familiar to her than the earth. To think she was afraid to fall beneath its depths was ludicrous. She brushed her hair out of her face, letting it flow behind her in the breeze, a few wisps hitting her face. It was such a strange sensation to have dry hair. It was soft but brittle and she could smell the salt still clinging to the strands.

It took a few feeble attempts, but she managed to position herself on the edge of the raft, letting her legs dangle in the water. The feel of the cool water flowing against them calmed the panic bubbling beneath the surface, her mind settling as her eyes closed. She thought of her pet seahorse, Rudy at home. She hoped he was all right and not fretting at where she had gotten.

Would he try and find her? Had anyone noticed she was missing by now? How long had she even been gone? Her mind started to hurt once more and she rubbed her head in frustration, her hair scrunching up and sitting crazily atop her head. There were too many questions and no answers.

Looking at the land only a few spaces away, she knew what she had to do if she wanted to find someone who could give her the answers she sought. Looking ahead, she noticed the river was starting to widen. If she wanted to get off the raft now was her chance before the current became too strong. Inching forward, she started to slide her legs further into the water, heart pounding as she wondered how she was going to swim with them.

"Hey!" A voice behind her stilled her descent.

Torso twisting she saw a large boat sitting in a small alcove she hadn't seen. Many humans stood on the shoreline, looking at her in shock.

"Oh Gods," she whispered.

An older man shouted to her. "Are you alright, lass?"

Frozen with fear, she didn't know what to do. She had never talked to a human before. She had always heard how they hated her kind. When she didn't respond, the older man who called out said to a younger man beside him. "Rye, go and help her."

Without a thought the man took his white shirt off before he jumped into the water. She noted he seemed to be quite adept at using his legs to swim when she realised he was heading in her direction. Scrambling back onto the raft she sat in the middle using her hands to pull her legs close noting they were strangely trembling. He came to stop at the edge of the raft but didn't attempt to get on. He held it the edge, slowing the raft's movement while looking pointedly at her face.

"Are you alright, Miss?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I'm fine," she whispered. "I'm just lost, I think."

He nodded, never breaking eye contact. His eyes reminded her of the calm water on the sea's surface. "What happened to your clothes?"

She looked down at her naked body. Her long hair covered most of her but some parts were still visible. Was that why he refused to look at her? Was her body repulsive to humans?

"I don't know," she said a bit louder this time. The raft hit the shore and she jumped. She'd been so busy talking to the stranger in the water she hadn't realised he had been pushing the raft ashore.

A young girl came aboard the raft, a large cloth in her hands. Carefully she draped it around Cora's shoulders. "It's alright. We'll take care of you," she said warmly. "Come with me."

She pulled her gently and Cora realised with horror she wanted her to stand up. She pulled away from her touch, shrinking into the sheet as if it would protect her. The girl looked confused, her face gentle. "It's ok. We won't hurt you, I promise."

The man had climbed out of the river, water dripping down his skin. It glistened in the sunlight and she felt something strange shoot through her being. What was this? The older man stepped forward leaning down so his eyes were at Cora's level. "Can you walk, Miss?"

Fear shot through her and she wondered if it was bad that she couldn't walk. Would they know she was a mermaid and try to kill her? Taking her silence as yes the man then turned to another young man standing nearby. "Colt, help her into the boat."

The man came forward, eyes gentle though they twinkled something strange. He didn't hesitate to try and look at her body and for some reason his gaze made her self conscious. He grinned and gently murmured. "Fear not, Miss, I won't drop you."

Before she could figure out what he meant, he scooped her up into his arms. She shrieked, arms flailing as she tried to find something to hold onto. She finally settled on his shoulders and the man grinned. "There you go, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Looking back to her raft, she saw Rye watching them walk away, his clear blue eyes hinting at a storm lurking beneath the surface.

* * * *

Rye watched Colt carry the strange young woman away. She had seemed afraid when he swam out to her. She hadn't even tried to cover her nakedness, as if it was normal for her, which was more confusing. Trying to be respectful he had averted his gaze, although he hadn't failed to notice her soft curves and ivory skin, unhidden by her golden hair.

When she spoke he had felt stunned. Her voice was light, a musical lilt in her pitch that resonated in him. His first thought was she must be a beautiful singer. His second being how beautiful she was, something he knew Colt had definitely noticed. Her green eyes fearfully never left his face as he had pulled the raft to shore. She had been so focused on him she didn't even realise what he was doing until the raft bumped the shore. He had been so focused on her it had even surprised himself.

Colt picking her up and holding her against his chest sent a jolt and jealousy through him making him snort in disgust. What a fool he was, feeling this way over a woman he had just met.

It was puzzling why she refused to walk. He had seen her use her legs when she kicked them out of the water to scuttle away from him and yet the thought of standing up had seemed to terrify her, her eyes had widened with fear like a doe sensing its end.

Leaning down he grabbed his shirt, using it to dry his chest before he slipped it back on. Alsa came and stood beside him, concern marring his little sister's delicate face. "What do you think happened to her, Rye?"

He ruffled her hair smiling as she huffed in annoyance. "I don't know, Cricket," using his pet name for her knowing it would exasperate her. "Perhaps you can befriend her and find out how she came to find herself on a raft with no clothes."

If anyone could find out the mystery girl's story it was Alsa. She loved to meet new people and had a way of befriending everyone she met. Rye knew Oot found her a useful ally when they had trouble with local townspeople who wouldn't let them dock. He would send in Alsa, all smiles and charm and then five minutes later the townspeople would be welcoming the water gypsies in with open arms.

She looked to the boat, her brain visibly turning with ideas. "I can certainly give it a try. There's something different about her though, don't you think?"

Rye watched as Alsa ran along the shore, jumping expertly onto the boat landing and heading inside.

"Different alright," Oot grunted, scratching his beard. "Not every day you see a lass naked as a newborn babe floating upstream."

"You think she's trouble?"

He winked. "Aye, but a little trouble never hurt."

Shaking his head Rye walked back over to his lute, returning to the new song he was composing with thoughts of blonde hair and green eyes on his mind.